Automobile-lock.



H. D. L W. M. CALVIN.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK.

APPLIcAImN man SEPT. 19, 191s.

L 1.6m. Patented Jan. 9,1917.

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il? SATS PATE 'Tt' HARVEY D. CALVIN AND WILLIAM IVI. CALVIN, OF COLUSA,CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

)Patented J an. 9, 19117.

Application led September 19, 1916. Serial No. 120,961.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that we, HARVEY D. CALVIN andWILLIAM M.A CALVIN, citizens of the United States, residing at Colusa,in the county of Colusa, State of California, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Automobile-Locks; and we do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the charactersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in locks for automobiles or othermotor vehicles to prevent the unauthorized use or theft thereof, theobject of the invention being to produce a lock controlled means forquickly and efficiently fixing the steering post of the vehicle in anydesired position so that it cannot be turned from that position. In thisway the vehicle cannot be readily used by any unauthorized person orstolen for the reason that if, for instance, the steering post waslocked so that the front wheels were in a slightly turned position thevehicle would only be able to advance in a circle and thus could not besafely driven away by any intended thief.

A further object ofthe invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposesfor which it is designed.

These objects we accomplish by means of such structure' and relativearrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of thefollowing specification and claims.-

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

Figure l is a fragmentary view of the foot board of the motor vehicleshowing a portion of the steering post thereon and our improved lock inposition adjacent the same. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of our improvedlocking mechanism when it is in unlocked position. Fig. 3 is a similarview when in locked position. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on a lineX-X of Fig. l.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings the numeral 1 designates the foot or dashboard of the vehicle,and 2 the steering post thereof which is of any desired structure.

In providing our improved invention we first have a lock casing 3 whichis so arranged that the steering post 2 projects therethrough and isprovided with a small pinion 4 fixed to said post 2 within said casing3. Extending parallel to the post 2 within the casing 3 is a squareshaft 5 mounted on which is a slidable sleeve 6 having a collar 7 formedthereon, which collar 7 is provided with a segment of a pinion 7il sopositioned that it can be brought into mesh with the pinion 4. Thesleeve is provided with a pin 8 which projects outside of the casing andthrough the foot or dash board l where it is provided with an operatingbutton i). IV hen it is desired to lock the steering post in any fixedposition the button 9 is operated to draw the sleeve 6 so that thepinion segment 7a will mesh with the pinion 4. Since the shaft 5 issquare the lsleeve 6 would not have any rotary motion thereon and sincethe segment 7al vis part of the sleeve 6 and meshes with the pinion 4this will prevent any rotary motion of the steering post 2. The partsare locked in this position by turning a key l0 to pass the lock bolt llinto the path of the collar 7 which will prevent the parts 7ZL and 4being unmeshed until the bolt ll is removed from the path of said collar7 by turning the key in the opposite direction. The key l() is of courseremovable.

When it is desired that the parts be unlocked the key l() is moved toturn the bolt 1l from out of the path of the collar 7. The button 9 isthen used to push the sleeve 6 downwardly which will unmesh the segment7a from the pinion 4 and leave the steering post free to be turned. Thisposition is then fixed by turning the bolt l1 into the path of thecollar 7 on the opposite side to that described above'as will clearlyappear in Fig. 2. The form of lock used is immaterial hence we make nospecial claim to any specific type for the purpose. The pinions 4 and 7aare arranged so as not to contact with the fuel and ignition controlrods of the vehicle.

From the foregoing description it will readily be seen that we haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

vhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention What we claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I1. The combination with a steering post, of a pinion secured thereto, asquare shaft adjacent the steering post, a sliding sleeve on the squareShaft, a pinion segment on the sleeve arranged to be brought into meshwith the pinion, and means for locking the parts in said last namedposition.

2. The combination with a steering post, of ay casing surrounding thepost, a square shaft Within the easing parallel With the post, a pinionon the post, a slidable member on the square shaft carrying a pinionsegwith the pinion,

ment enga geable with said pinion, and means for locking said segment inor out of engagement with the pinion.

3. The combination Awith a steering post provided with a pinion thereon,a square shaft extending parallel to the post, a 'sleeve slidable on theshaft, a Collar on the sleeve, a pinion segment on the collar engageableand a lock arranged t0 extend in the path of the collar on either sidethereof.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures.

HARVEY D. CALVIN. WILLIAM M. CALVIN.

